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Level crossing stupidity...

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Shadow

Shadow

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And its about time Network Rail took the BBC to task over their sensationalist (and incorrect) headlines!

I just noticed in the text that comes with the video, Network Rail said the following

 

"..... Network Rail radar technology ensured that when a car or pedestrian was detected the barrier-lowering sequence stopped along with the approaching train.

It said the volume of the warning signals at the crossing had been increased."

 

Still a sensationalist title though!

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talisman56

talisman56

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Because it identifies the car but not who was driving which may or may not have been the owner.

 

Or to avoid any awkward and unfortunate questions for the innocent driver who was there when he told his SWMBO he was somewhere else? :jester:

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Fat Controller

Fat Controller

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Or to avoid any awkward and unfortunate questions for the innocent driver who was there when he told his SWMBO he was somewhere else? :jester:

This was actually one of the objections raised in the French Parliament when the Ministry of the Interior wanted to send copies of photos of motoring transgressions to people's home addresses.

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Londontram

Londontram

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Meanwhile, over in Suffolk...

 

Driver mounts kerb to jump Suffolk railway crossing

 

Driver's level crossing near-miss caught on camera

 

(two stories on same incident)

Drove over this crossing today on the way home from the Southwold model railway exhibition........ that's it I'm afraid nothing happened I just thought I'd mention it....... sorry

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ejstubbs

ejstubbs

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Am I the only one to be disappointed that, while Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner* described the Range Rover driver's behaviour as "appalling" as well as "dangerous, absolutely reckless and completely unacceptable", and Sergeant Thompson from the BTP said that they "take anything like that very seriously", there appears to be no mention of the fact that passing the flashing red lights was 100% illegal.  This seems to be so poorly understood by Joe Public that missing a golden opportunity like this to remind people of the law seems more than a tad regrettable.  If either of them did say it, and the journalist didn't bother to report it then that would be another black mark against them, to go with the "inside lane" nonsense.

 

* I wonder how much crime he gets to commission?  Just a monthly average would do.

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Dubloseven

Dubloseven

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Meanwhile, over in Suffolk...

 

Driver mounts kerb to jump Suffolk railway crossing

 

Driver's level crossing near-miss caught on camera

 

(two stories on same incident)

I can't help thinking this driver should be prosecuted, fined and banned for six months. In addition,  if it were down to me, they'd be required to attend a level crossing fatality to help the clean up and accompany the police officer to notify the next of kin !  Harsh I know but maybe it would get the message across !

 

Regards, Cliff.

Edited by Dubloseven
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Wherry Lines

Wherry Lines

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With regard to the Suffolk incident, the level crossing in question is on Victoria Road in Lowestoft. At this point, the road is single lane. It does not become a two lane junction until after the level crossing. 

 

The video appeared on Facebook before appearing in the news. Earlier on the footage, the driver is seen overtaking another car (the one with the dash cam) in a 30mph residential road.

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Budgie

Budgie

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I can't help thinking this driver should be prosecuted, fined and banned for six months. In addition,  if it were down to me, they'd be required to attend a level crossing fatality to help the clean up and accompany the police officer to notify the next of kin !  Harsh I know but maybe it would get the message across !

 

Regards, Cliff.

Why only six months, Cliff. Six years would be more appropriate, not only to punish the driver for his arrogance and arrant stupidy, but as a warning to others. It seems to me that punishments are so lenient in the UK that they do not serve as adequate deterrents.

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kevinlms

kevinlms

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I know this is in the US, so is off-topic here, but it is a salutary reminder of what can happen at level crossings without gates and traffic signals on the road

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/tragic-girl-4-asks-for-family-after-waking-up-in-hospital-following-crash-from-which-she-was-sole-a3282516.html

Worse is this one, where there is no trains horns or bells or anything protecting pedestrians when a train is coming.

 

 

Just amazing that the crossing is silent once the booms are down, yet the pedestrians have a nice wide space. It encourages them. Given the way people concentrate on phones when walking, its of no surprise that someone walked straight into a train. Just a question of when!

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Dunsignalling

Dunsignalling

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....... It seems to me that punishments are so lenient in the UK that they do not serve as adequate deterrents.

Agreed.

 

The discretion exercised in not removing the licences of some individuals who have earned a statutory ban (sometimes two) because it would affect their employment is especially reprehensible. It undermines the principle that we are (or should be) all equal before the law.

 

Totting-up is designed to protect the rest of us from dangerous repeat offenders, if they end up unemployed as a consequence, it is nobody's fault but their own. In addition to enforcing it uniformly, it would help improve road safety if such offenders only got a provisional licence back at the end of their bans.

 

If a licence is really that vital, one should be especially careful to protect it, not expect to get away with what others would be banned for.

 

The wise advice that, "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" should apply as much to time off the road as any served behind bars.

 

John

Edited by Dunsignalling
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The Stationmaster

The Stationmaster

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Worse is this one, where there is no trains horns or bells or anything protecting pedestrians when a train is coming.

 

 

Just amazing that the crossing is silent once the booms are down, yet the pedestrians have a nice wide space. It encourages them. Given the way people concentrate on phones when walking, its of no surprise that someone walked straight into a train. Just a question of when!

 

Seems there's no accounting for stupidity.  Flashing red lights, noise of an approaching train - and in her case the horn being sounded.  Leaves you wondering if some people are bright enough and aware enough of their surroundings to be allowed out of their front door?

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Titan

Titan

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It seems to me that punishments are so lenient in the UK that they do not serve as adequate deterrents.

 

I am going to go against the flow here. I do not think that the punishment is the issue. You could have a sentence of immediate execution of you, your family and all known friends and relatives and it won't make the slightest bit of difference if the perpetrator thinks there is no chance of getting caught. Getting caught should be the deterrent. A very minimal punishment would suffice if they got caught every time. Just think how obediently everyone would obey the speed limit if every single time on a journey you went more than 5mph over the limit you were fined just £10 and had no points on your license - Bet there are some that would add about £100 to the cost of the school run every day if they did not change their habits PDQ.

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kevinlms

kevinlms

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I am going to go against the flow here. I do not think that the punishment is the issue. You could have a sentence of immediate execution of you, your family and all known friends and relatives and it won't make the slightest bit of difference if the perpetrator thinks there is no chance of getting caught. Getting caught should be the deterrent. A very minimal punishment would suffice if they got caught every time. Just think how obediently everyone would obey the speed limit if every single time on a journey you went more than 5mph over the limit you were fined just £10 and had no points on your license - Bet there are some that would add about £100 to the cost of the school run every day if they did not change their habits PDQ.

Many who lose their licence for what ever reason, just continue to drive anyway, so how do you deal with that?

Part of the problem is a fixed price penalty, is no deterrent for some people. Spending 100 pound a day, would be of zero consequence to them, if no other penalty possible as per your example, others it would send to bankruptcy, in a short time.

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kevinlms

kevinlms

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I am going to go against the flow here. I do not think that the punishment is the issue. You could have a sentence of immediate execution of you, your family and all known friends and relatives and it won't make the slightest bit of difference if the perpetrator thinks there is no chance of getting caught. Getting caught should be the deterrent. A very minimal punishment would suffice if they got caught every time. Just think how obediently everyone would obey the speed limit if every single time on a journey you went more than 5mph over the limit you were fined just £10 and had no points on your license - Bet there are some that would add about £100 to the cost of the school run every day if they did not change their habits PDQ.

A customer told me about a friend of hers, who apparently come home one day & found 5 speeding fines in the post, all for the same day at the same location. The friend told her that she was just going on the school run & a couple of trips to the local shops etc. Couldn't see the wood for the trees, or the camera car apparently.

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